Family pays tribute to couple killed at Echo Caves
A suspect has been apprehended in connection with the murders of Hennie (77) and Anneke (76) Claassen.
They were killed at the Echo Caves, outside Ohrigstad, on June 3. The suspect was nabbed in Ivory Park, Thembisa, on Wednesday June 15 at 01:00.
According to the Limpopo SAPS, a massive intelligence-driven operation led to the arrest of the suspect.
A private investigation company based in Thabazimbi, Bosveld Misdaadondersoeke, was an integral part of the investigation and arrest.
According to the company, the suspect was known to the Claassens and a previous employee.
On Saturday, a week after the murders, more than 400 family members and friends said goodbye to the couple outside the caves’ hotel, under a canopy of tall trees.
The Reverend Kobus Sandenbergh, a family friend from Tshwane, conducted the combined service. Part of his message was that, by the grace of God, the two friends were able to end their journey together.
“I know that it would have been very difficult for my mother to be on the farm without Hennie. He never wanted to leave my mother alone for too long,” said Jan-Daniël Claassen, Anneke’s son.
He paid a moving tribute to his mother on behalf of himself and his two sisters, Carla le Roux and Carmen Human.
Hennie and Anneke were both described as humble, sincere and loving.
Also read: Eight injured in accident on R537 between White River and Sabie
The alarm was raised by a farm worker at 14:30 on the day of the murders when a person wearing a balaclava ran away from Hennie’s house.
Two tour groups were at the caves at the time of the attack, and a tour leader also spotted this suspect.
Hennie and Anneke were both tortured before they were set on fire. Anneke’s body was found in the hallway, and a part of the hallway was already on fire. Hennie’s house was on fire.
Response units and farm watches from Lydenburg, Ohrigstad, Burgersfort, Hoedspruit and Tzaneen participated in the search for the suspects, along with the Limpopo police.
K9 tracking dogs from the Hoedspruit Farm Watch followed the suspects’ trail from Saturday afternoon, up to the nearby informal settlement, the Mokutong trust area.
According to Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, the Limpopo police commissioner, more arrests are to follow.
Outrage over murders
On Friday, community members held a peaceful protest in front of the Ohrigstad SAPS.
Residents of the nearby Mokutong Village were joined by members from Ward 1 of Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality, the ANC, the South African National Civic Organisation, Cosatu and SACP in Tubatse.
The SACP’s Bethuel Koma said the protest was in remembrance of the victims and to call for an end to the senseless killings of farmers in the country.
“We cannot feel unsafe in our homes. We want to push the case to the highest level and have the suspects arrested. The Claassens were good people,” said Koma.
AfriForum’s spokesperson for community safety, Jacques Broodryk, appealed to farmers and rural residents to step up their security and preparedness. “AfriForum urges farmers and rural residents to urgently get involved with their local neighbourhood or farm watches,” said Broodryk.
